April 18: Contributors to the Social Security Fund (SSF) will soon get discount for treatment directly at the hospitals. SSF is making necessary preparations to provide discount on treatment at the hospitals from July to make the social security programme more effective.
According to the SSF, until now contributors used to get the payment claims only after submitting necessary bills. After receiving complaints that this process is full of hassles, SSF has made all required preparations to provide 80 percent discount on the treatment at the hospital itself. Once this service is available, contributors to SSF will have to pay only 20 percent for the treatment that costs up to Rs 100,000.
Kapil Mani Gyawali, executive director of the SSF said, “Contributors need not visit SSF office to claim the treatment amount. We are working to provide this facility directly from the hospital.”
According to him, SSF is in the process of signing agreements with the hospitals to this end. So far, agreements have been signed with about 105 hospitals in the provinces, including Kathmandu Valley. SSF has signed agreements with twenty hospitals in Province 1, sixteen in Province 2, twenty in Bagmati Province, eight in Gandaki Province, fourteen in Lumbini Province, ten in Karnali Province and seventeen in the Sudur Paschim Province. The list also includes TU Teaching Hospital and Bir Hospital of Kathmandu valley.
SSF had planned to sign agreements with at least ten hospitals in each province. But it has exceeded its target under this plan. “We are planning to bring hospitals across the country under this plan and start giving service from July if the second wave of cornonavirus doesn’t affect this process,” said Gyawali.
Hospitals that have signed agreement with the SSF get the discount payment provided to contributors after they makes the claims with the SSF.
Lately, SSF is making its programmes reasonable and practical to attract more employees. SSF which came into operation from 27th November, 2018 has 13,800 contributors.
